Cristiano Ronaldo: Is Euro 2016 triumph his greatest achievement?

James Masters, CNN

Updated 1819 GMT (0219 HKT) July 11, 2016

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Au revoir – After celebrating long into the night after beating France in the Euro 2016 final, exultant Portugal fans gathered around the team bus as the players left their base camp in Marcoussis to return home.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Red, green and gold – As their plane touched down in Lisbon, the players were welcomed back by an airport firefighters' unit spraying water over the aircraft in the national colors.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Portugal legend – In a heartwarming touch, the aircraft featured an image of the late, great Eusebio -- scorer of 41 goals in just 64 appearances for Portugal.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

All aboard – An open-top bus paraded the stars through the streets of Lisbon as the players showed off the trophy -- the nation's first at a major football tournament, and some consolation after losing the 2004 final on home soil.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Tears of sadness to tears of joy – Many had said it would be Cristiano Ronaldo's last chance of glory on the international stage, but even the captain's injury early in the first half did not curtail Portugal's charge into the history books.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

The unpredictable season goes on – After Ronaldo left the field, a new hero was born. Having never scored a competitive international goal, enduring a torrid spell at Welsh club Swansea last season, nobody expected Eder to be lifting the Euro 2016 trophy.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

From flop to 'beautiful swan' – Perhaps the most unlikely hero imaginable, his extra-time winner prompted manager Fernando Santos to pronounce "Eder was an ugly duckling, but now he is a beautiful swan."

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Contrasting emotions – The France squad's homecoming was a decidedly more sombre affair. Hugo Lloris, captain of both club and country, would have been the man to lift the trophy -- had Éder not broken French hearts.

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Photos:French fairytale for Ronaldo's team

Bittersweet – Instead, during a meeting with French President Francois Hollande, the players were forced put on a brave face. Antoine Griezmann (left) had earlier collected his golden boot award without registering a smile. The 25-year-old Atlético Madrid striker was also named Player of the Tournament Monday, having scored six goals.

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Story highlights

Portugal defeated France to win 2016

Cristiano Ronaldo forced out of tie with injury

Captain helps coach team from side of field

Portugal's first major tournament title

(CNN)No sooner had he fallen to the turf, the wrath of public opinion poured forth.

Social media was buzzing -- some laughed, some offered comfort ... some just rolled their eyes.

Whatever he does, wherever he goes, few footballers split opinion like Cristiano Ronaldo.

The ripped torso, the shirtless posing and the manicured image have given his critics plenty of ammunition in maintaining their argument that he is one of the most self-absorbed players on the planet.

His petulance -- criticizing Iceland for being "small-minded" after Portugal failed to beat the football minnow at Euro 2016, then days later throwing a reporter's microphone into a lake -- does not help his cause, either.

Ronaldo's trademark celebration was on show in Paris.

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Then there are the endless endorsements which have helped bring in $32 million of the $88 million he has taken home over the past 12 months -- the other $56 million coming courtesy of his salary and bonuses at Real Madrid, according to Forbes.

Ronaldo's huge social media profile does little to deter his critics -- he has over 200 million followers across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

For Ronaldo, this could be the last time he arrives at a major international tournament at the peak of his powers -- he came to Euro 2016 having scored 51 goals in 48 games for Real, winning the European Champions League for the second time in three years.

While his chief rival Lionel Messi retired from the international game after Argentina's Copa America final defeat by Chile this month, Ronaldo could play on for another six or seven years according to national coach Fernando Santos.

Eder, a substitute, ran away in delight after firing home an unstoppable effort.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

The forward has hardly featured in the tournament but his name will never be forgotten in Portugal or France now.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Eder was a handful for the French defense throughout his time on the field of play.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Ronaldo, who had come off injured in the first half, rooted for his teammates from the sidelines.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

France's forward Andre-Pierre Gignac went close just before the end of 90 minutes but his effort hit the post.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Portugal was forced to defend for long periods but held firm.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Antoine Griezmann, the tournament's top scorer with six goals, wasted a glorious opportunity to win it for France with the scores level at 0-0.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Olivier Giroud was kept in check by Portugal's Jose Fonte.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Portugal's achievement is even more remarkable given it won without Ronaldo.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Even the moths were starting to bug Ronaldo after he suffered an injury.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Ronaldo's final looked like it would end in tears after he was forced to leave the field on a stretcher after suffering a knee injury. The Portugal star lasted just 23 minutes and was visibly upset.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Ronaldo, 31, last played in a Euro final back in 2004 when Portugal was beaten at home by Greece.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

First aid attendants surrounded Ronaldo as it became increasingly clear he was unable to continue.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Ronaldo had left the field to receive treatment and come back on but the pain was too much for him to continue.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

It was a collision with France's Dimitri Payet which led to Ronaldo's injury.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

France's top scorer Griezmann found it difficult to make an impression during a tight first half.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Neither side managed to find a way through in a tight and cagey first half.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Portugal fans watched on as its team tried to overcome the loss of its star player.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

France won the 1984 Euros and 1998 World Cup when it hosted the tournaments.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

There were some rather adventurous outfits on display as fans got into the spirit of the day.

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Photos:Euro 2016 Finals: France Portugal

Portugal fans were in good voice ahead of the tie.

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His role in the team may change by the time the 2018 World Cup comes around, but he remains integral to this current side.

And yet, while many predicted Portugal's almost immediate downfall after the loss of its talisman, what followed was a performance of a team which not only fought and battled, but outwitted its opponent on a tactical level too.

He may not have been on the field, but that did not prevent Ronaldo from inspiring those around him.

"He gave us a lot of confidence and said, 'Listen people, I'm sure we will win, so stay together and fight for it.' He was fantastic.

"His attitude was unbelievable. Always he helped a lot our teammates, he always had a lot of motivational words and all the team of course reacted to them, so it was very good."

Ronaldo was on the touchline handing out instructions to his teammates.

Ronaldo, driven by the hurt of losing out to Greece on home soil in the final 12 years ago, had made little secret of his desire to win a title with the national team.

Tears wiped away, he returned for the second half to stand by coach Santos and began to encourage his teammates as they faced a host nation determined to end its own quest for glory -- having last won the European title in 2000.

Few predicted Portugual would reach the final, let alone win the tournament.

This is not a golden generation for "A Seleção das Quinas" -- there is no Luis Figo, Paulo Sousa or Manuel Rui Costa -- but there is talent.

In Renato Sanches, an 18-year-old midfielder who was named player of the tournament, it has a star in the making, while Ronaldo's strike partner Nani and Real Madrid defender Pepe also enjoyed an excellent tournament.

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The only contest it managed to win inside 90 minutes was the 2-0 victory over debutant Wales in the last four.

Ronaldo's importance to the team on the field cannot be underestimated.

He has scored a national record 61 goals in 133 games overall, and in this tournament his double ensured Portugal came from behind to draw 3-3 with Hungary and reach the knockout stage, then he netted the opener against Wales and assisted Nani for the second.

But if anything, his departure in Sunday's final at Stade de France gave his teammates an extra incentive.

"It was tough to lose our main man, the man who could at any moment score a goal," Pepe said.

"We said we would win it for him and we managed to do that."

Ronaldo celebrates after Portugal's historic victory.

When the 90 minutes finished and the players took a break ahead of extra-time, it was not Santos who roused the players but Ronaldo -- a general barking orders to his soldiers on the battlefield.

Prowling along the touchline, he was gesticulating and pointing as Portugal's threat grew in the additional 30 minutes. At one point, he even invoked the pointing at the watch move which his former manager and mentor Alex Ferguson made famous at Manchester United as the game ticked down towards it conclusion.

From a man who had been in tears an hour earlier, he appeared reinvigorated as he set about convincing his teammates they could win.

"Cristiano told me I would score the winning goal," Portugal hero Eder, a 79th-minute substitute, said after the game.

"He gave me strength and positive energy. A lot of hard work went into it.

"With the injury to Ronaldo, we went through a tough time because he's very important for us but he gave us all his courage and his strength.

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"I have been looking for this for a long time, since 2004," Ronaldo told reporters.

"I asked God for another chance at this because we deserved it. Today I was unfortunate, I was injured but I always believed that these players, together with the strategy, would be strong enough to beat France.

"This is one of the happiest moments in my career. I always said I'd like to win something with Portugal."

What awaits the three-time World Player of the Year now is unknown -- but for all his achievements, and there are many -- that night in Paris will take some beating.